State Legality Matrix / Suppressors / District of Columbia
Statute-cited, last verified 2026-07-10
No. Possession of a firearm silencer is prohibited as an illegal dangerous weapon.
Controlling law: D.C. Code § 7-2502.02
Silencers are among the weapons that cannot be registered or possessed; no hunting, sport, or self-defense exception. Related possession offenses appear under D.C. Code § 22-4514.
Suppressors are federally legal to own under the NFA. As of January 1, 2026 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 2025) zeroed the federal making and transfer tax on suppressors, formerly $200. Form 4 or Form 1, fingerprints, the NICS background check, and NFA registration are all still required; ATF eForm approvals currently run days to a couple of weeks.
Scope: Firearm suppressors (silencers) as defined by the NFA. Federal NFA compliance (Form 4 or Form 1, fingerprints, NICS, registration) is required everywhere they are legal.
No. Possession of a firearm silencer is prohibited as an illegal dangerous weapon. Controlling law: D.C. Code § 7-2502.02.
The controlling law is D.C. Code § 7-2502.02. Possession of a firearm silencer is prohibited as an illegal dangerous weapon.
Suppressors are federally legal to own under the NFA. As of January 1, 2026 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 2025) zeroed the federal making and transfer tax on suppressors, formerly $200. Form 4 or Form 1, fingerprints, the NICS background check, and NFA registration are all still required; ATF eForm approvals currently run days to a couple of weeks.